Lena Palm / Gbg
Meeting 2 / october 2 “Gender Space Architecture – An interdiciplinary introduction”
The text is an essay included in an anthology of about 30 authors. Editors for the anthology Rendell, Penner and Borden from 2000 , published by Routledge / London
The prologue in the antology is written by Leslie Kanes Weisman from Heresies: ” A Feminist Publication on Art and politics (1981)
Summary: Male macho structures and values manifest in the built environment, such as towers and stereotype local environment , shopping malls, office complexes, all large scale with huge financial investment and ownership , which in turn reinforces the power and elite and thus barriers. This structure is no place for ‘weak’ as disabled , marginalized groups and women and children is not included in the macho men’s large-scale structures . The architecture also maintain the roles that men designed for women to live up to. Limited space in architecture allows the so-called weak powerless and clipped . Therefore, the power – and gender hierarchies survive. Women live up to the ideals of men designed to be as real women .
However , in recent decades, new interdisciplinary disciplines developed that gives us new keys to consider interdisciplinary and more critical. This means that the time is ripe for a radical development of new discourses on entirely new perspectives , drawn both from the research from the mundane emperin .
My reflections: Architecture and urban planning is hardly not at all integrated with social concern and social responsibility , and in particular for multi-family and residential areas. Behavioral scientists – of course mostly women are not included in the planning process ! It is managed by developers in consortium with purely economic interests, and the architects who become technicians, engineers and servants ready to take orders like in a restaurant. I mean that the architects are too often uncritical and dependent puppets who dance to the others pipe. We are almost all wage workers, – and architects are no exception, but is stuck in a social system that is built around male rule structures where economic forces are controlling, in laws and politick and its cultures. I think, since a long time that we need to change the economic system and the thinking basically, and I am not a communist or socialist, but a surviver who don´t like violence, drugs and powerty. I think we need to weave in other parameters when it comes to seeing expenses, gains, costs and losses. Above all, the economic calculations take into account the infinitely more variables than is happening now . The accomodation and our built environment should not be allowed to be a commodity like any other. Words like empowerment , sustainability, gender equality, democracy is beautiful statements but how far have we come yet, actually ? What is built today is a new cosmetic forgery , based on old ideals.
However, there is a vague light in the dark tunnel. It’s something small sprouting. With an increased awareness of the Earth’s limited resources , a new generation starting to see through the current pattern and then raised other issues , beyond the old men’s horizon . But it must be done from below and underground. We can not even count on journalists who mostly loves to write about “cyklist went into the ditch ” or ” success for the X- star.” Instead of DRILLING steady and fastly in the great social issues in depth. We live in a brutalizing culture where old builder thrive just fine , so even politicians and policy makers. They love it when citizens are lazy, naive and ignorant. And anyone who tries to change , they will certainly get a hard lesson and meet resistance until they get tired . But we do not get tired and give up. This is where we are now in a nutshell !
Children often love farms and animals. So why dont we have it in the residential areas more frequently? It costs too much. But what does riots costs? Exept suffering and vandalism? We need to see to the total costs in society.
archandphil 
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